Ten Years
by musicforlife101
Summary: What happened to Ziva ten years ago? mostly post-JD, but if you don't like that don't worry, i didn't either. first chap has a death we already know about Tiva later, Jibbs, established McAbby any more would give it all away
1. Booms, Bombs, and Byes

**Ok so this is like the very beginning, like way back before my story starts, but I felt it should be included. It was only going to be the bombing, but it got to be much bigger and more elaborate. Ziva will seem a little out of character because I threw her into a situation she isn't normally in, at an age we haven't seen her, with people we haven't seen or I have made up. So bear with me. Consider this character building for her. To see how she learned to hold everything in.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize. Well maybe Tali's personality, but not her. Just the ones I created. =]**

Hot. That was one word Ilana would always associate with Israel. Of course the fact that she was there in the middle of August, sleeping in a tent with three other girls her age, off to the side of their dig site, didn't help her impression of the heat. She was just twenty years old and had finished her undergraduate degree two years ahead of schedule. She was on a dig with the Anthropology and Archaeology program at her college. It was not to say that she wasn't used to heat, she had grown up in southern California where hot summers, and occasionally hot winters, were not uncommon, but she had been in New England for a while and was accustomed to the cooler weather.

She had been there for about six weeks and found that she had made friends with a few locals. She traveled a lot but normally she stuck with her mother or school friends, though this time her mother was at home and she wasn't friends with any of the others. The girl she had befriended was two years younger than her and looked for all the world like a sister to her now that Ilana's hair was dyed to fit in to the natives.

The girl, Ziva, was an operative of Mossad. The agency that, she knew, held utmost power in the country, and, much as she denied it, Ziva was the liaison and it didn't bother Ilana one bit. Most days when her presence was not needed at the dig, Ziva and Ilana would go into Tel Aviv, sometimes accompanied by Ziva's little sister, Tali. The professors mostly allowed this because the promising young anthropology student had decided to write a paper on the culture of the society from the inside, as she not only could fit in visually but understood the language well and spoke it better than she thought.

This day was no different. Ziva and Tali had met Ilana in a small café in the city and had been chatting for a while, occasionally switching languages to practice the few they all knew. They stayed away from English as they were all quite fluent, and used Hebrew mostly because of their location, though using Spanish and French was fun. Ilana tried to teach Tali German and increase Ziva's vocabulary while they tried to teach her Italian and a little Arabic or Kurdish. The American had long since given up trying to teach them Latin, as they had quickly pointed out that it was a dead language and of more use to a scientist than an operative. She had to concede that they were right.

They had been eating their lunch like normal when Tali spoke up. "Ziva. I need to go. Ari asked me to meet him in ten minutes. I'll see you both later." she said with a smile. She was as independent as her sister. They three began their normal chorus of goodbyes, repeating them in different languages as if they would be gone for years. "Shalom." Tali began.

"Ma'as salaama." Ziva replied.

[Egyptian Arabic]

"Ahoj." Ilana added.

[Czech Republic]

"Au revoir." Tali continued with a giggle, expecting one more round before they let her leave.

[French]

"Chao." Ziva replied again with a smile.

[Chilean Spanish, had to through that in. =)]

"Auf Wiedersehen." Ilana finished, smiling now at the obvious interest they were attracting. They had not only managed to look like sisters in the six weeks they had been together, but they had begun to act like sisters as well.

[German]

"Bye." they said together before laughing as Tali left the café and waved to them from the other side of the window. Ziva and Ilana had gone back to talking, though it was much less happy than it had been before. When the youngest of their group was not present they talked mostly of contact after the dig was over, which was surprisingly soon. The time difference would not be as bad as it could have been, considering that Ilana would be attending Oxford, but e-mail was a must. They made promises to make contact at least once a month but more if they could, unless Ziva was undercover or away from communication for an extended period, then she was exempt, but Ilana was not.

"I don't see how that's fair, but alright." she acquiesced with a grin.

_**Boom.**_ There isn't really a word to describe the sound of a bomb going off, but it was unmistakable. The young women sprang to their feet and ran from the café at the protest of many of the older and, supposedly, more sensible patrons. They ran to where they knew the bomb had come from, where Tali had been going. It was two city blocks away. Of course it was two blocks of big buildings and a lot of running people. How they knew what to do neither would be able to say, even years later, but they did what they had to, helping paramedics and civilians alike to save lives. But it was the worst thing Ilana had ever seen. She had been through the Rodney King Riots, but this was worse, much worse.

As she pulled survivors from under pieces of rubble and pressed kind hands to flesh wounds and handing the more serious injuries over to the professionals, she could not stop thinking. _'What happened here? This kind of thing shouldn't happen. The Gulf War is over… it has been for years, no more rocket attacks on Israeli citizens. What's happening to the world?'_ That was when she saw the shoes. They were attached to a pair of feet like any normal shoes would be in the middle of the street, but what stopped her was who those shoes belonged to. Ilana had found a loved one dead before, so she mustered up her courage and walked over to where Tali's head was. Her body was intact aside from the obvious shrapnel wounds. With trembling fingers the young American searched for a pulse on the wrist and neck of surrogate little sister. Finding none and satisfying herself that nothing could be done, she got the attention of someone more capable and directed him to Tali in Hebrew, quietly explaining who the girl was. The man nodded and she went with him.

In a few moments he came to the same conclusion and Ilana left him there, she would break down with her friend, not in front of this stranger. She found Ziva explaining something to another paramedic type. Ilana tapped her friend on the shoulder and led her away. She sat the younger girl down on the curb and took the seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her fluency in Hebrew nearly failing her, she composed herself enough to tell Ziva the truth.

"I found Tali. I'm so sorry Ziva, but she's gone." With that final word she dissolved into tears, quiet, but not silent tears. Seeing the girl who rarely cried, really cry made it real to Ziva. She wanted to see her sister, to prove it was true, but she already knew it was. It was what had pulled the two of them from the café and toward the street. They hadn't known it then as they did now, but they knew Tali had been involved, and they had probably felt that she was gone, without having any proof until now. Ziva moved to get up and run away from it, or run to Tali, she didn't know. But Ilana's hand on her arm, pulling her back down, was enough to stop the normally stubborn girl. They cried together for a long time. Until, it seemed, nothing was left around them. They cried until the tears had dried on their cheeks and all that was left were the racking sobs that followed the death of so loved an individual. Ziva knew Ilana had been through more than her fair share of death, but how she had found the courage to prove Tali's death herself was a wonder to her.

"Who did you lose?" Ziva asked in French, wanting to be overheard as little as possible. Ilana took the hint and followed suit.

"My father. We were very close. You would have liked him. He would have liked you a lot. Tali too. I don't know your personal beliefs on the afterlife, but I imagine they're up there together looking down on us and yelling for us to stop being so stupid and to get up off the street and go somewhere safer. They would be good at ganging up on us." Sad smiles spread across both their faces as they imagined being yelled at by their lost loved ones for staying in such an unsafe place just to cry. Ilana looked down at their sneakered feet. "Want to run back to the dig? Runner's high?" Ziva nodded and they took off, letting the endorphins and wind wash away the traces of their outburst.

They matched pace the whole way and made it back to the site in record time. Everyone was still working, but the pair couldn't figure out why. A girl of about twenty-two looked up at them from the trench and groaned. "The dynamic duo. Where's the other one? No trio today?" she asked spitefully, as she detested the girls for their young success though she was perfectly capable of the same if she applied herself.

"A bomb went off in the city." Ilana explained in English, pausing to let Ziva repeat it in Hebrew. They relayed the events of the past hour or so in this fashion until they had answered all the questions they could. They had finished and the group of people in front of them were bustling about for more news. Ilana turned to Ziva and began in low whispered French. "The daughter of a higher up in Mossad dies in bombing on her way to meet his illegitimate son and his only other child falls off grid for a few hours, maybe or maybe not with an American student who could pass not only as an Israeli, but as her sister, and who no one knew very much about. That doesn't look good. Even if your father isn't worried, someone will be looking for you." She was concerned and honest, knowing, without stating, that the both of them would be at the top of the search list, not just Ziva.

"I need to stay away from them all tonight. Can I stay here?" Ilana sighed. This could mean trouble, but she had slept on the living room floor for a week after her father died, she could not deny her friend one night away from Mossad, to mourn her sister. "And you will come to the funeral, yes?" Ilana agreed to both.

The next few days passed in a blur for the pair of girls. Eli David had yelled and screamed at them both for a considerable amount of time, and they had tuned him out with the expertise of teenage years. They already knew what they had done wrong and since one was an American citizen and relations were good and the other was well on her way to becoming a great agent and his daughter, neither got more than a boring a loud lecture.

The funeral was as to be expected. Ziva and Ilana were roughly the same size, so Ziva dressed her friend for the funeral and fitted her with a necklace, so she could attend the ceremony as a Jew. She knew what to do and what to say. She considered it immersion as well as grieving. Ilana sat with Ziva as a sister would have, at Ziva's demand. It was at this time in their lives that Ziva would have pulled a throwing knife out of her boot and lobbed it perfectly at someone's head as a warning for Ilana, who would have killed for Ziva or cleaned up after her and left no proof. They were a team in those days.

After the funeral there were four days of Israel left for Ilana. Due to her proximity to the explosion and her assistance during rescue efforts, she was given the few days off to spend however she liked. It was on that first day off that she experienced Ziva's driving. They drove to Jerusalem that day. It was odd that Ilana knew she should be scared and sick to her stomach, but she found her friend's driving thrilling in a way, like a roller coaster ride that could get you killed. They arrived at their destination and got out of the car.

"Do you always drive like that?" Ziva nodded, a little confused, and Ilana shrugged. The spent the day being tourists. They took pictures galore to remember their time together, something they had often done with Tali, who had been more acutely aware of their lack of time together than either of them had been. They visited many of the tourist spots in the city before getting back into the car and driving the opposite direction of Tel Aviv. They drove at Ziva's breakneck speed into Jordan. They had stopped at a small hotel for the night before Ziva said anything. They had been listening to Israeli pop songs on the car radio, many of which Ilana had come to like, the entire drive.

"Tali wanted to bring you here. She said you would love Jordan as much as you love Israel. This place is our shared Holy Land, she would tell me, and that we needed to be more open and share its beauty with people like you who would appreciate it. Tomorrow we will get to Petra. I know you want go there." she said with a sad smile. This Ziva was unlike the Ziva Ilana knew, the one who had taught her to use almost every gun in the arsenal at Mossad, the one who had taught her how to flip a man twice her size, the one who had taught her how to throw knives and step silently in heels. This Ziva was broken. She was not the ninja chick Ilana loved. But she nodded anyway, with her own sad smile.

"Just promise me one thing, Zee?" Her friend nodded expectantly. "You go back to be my ninja chick soon. I know it hurts, but it hurts more to stay like this. She wouldn't want it. Promise?" Ziva let out a real smile and nodded.

"I promise." They slept soundly that night and Ilana even managed to talk Ziva into letting her drive for a little while in the morning, but eventually she got annoyed with how slow Ilana drove and took over. They reached Petra and did the tourist-slash-anthropologist thing before getting back into the car and drove west to the Jordan river, following it north to the Dead Sea, where they floated around for a little while. They got back into the car and found a hotel to stay the night. The next morning they headed up to Nazareth and then back to Tel Aviv. They reached there my late evening considering Ziva's driving.

"You'll come see me off at the airport right?" Ilana asked, before her friend pulled away from the dig site to go back to the city and her home. Ziva nodded.

"Of course. laila tov, my friend." she replied.

"Toda, and gute Nacht, Ziva." Ilana added just before her friend drove off into the night. The next morning the dig team was at the airport waiting at the gate. A melodic Israeli voice directed at them stirred many out of their reverie. It wasn't that they weren't hearing many Israeli voices -- they were still in Tel Aviv! -- but none were directed at them.

"Ilana?" "Zee! You came!" The friends hugged each other for what felt like the last time. "My father gave me a mission. I will not be able to contact you, but write to me anyways, yes?" "Of course." "Shalom, my friend." "Not goodbye Zee, just a see you later. If you need anything I'm not going too awfully far. I'm sure you could make it in a couple of days with the way you drive." They laughed a little. "Do not forget what I have taught you." "Don't forget what you promised." They hugged once more and Ziva was gone. It was only a few moments later that the plane boarded and Ilana was forced to leave, unknowingly sacrificing her chance to see her friend for ten years.

**For clarification if anyone needs it, Laila tov means good night in Hebrew and gute Nacht means the same in German.**

**So did you like it, hate it, have suggestions? Drop me a review and let me know.**


	2. Emails

**So I'm writing some of the e-mails from the ten years Ziva and Ilana were apart. I got the idea from another fic about the time after JD, sorry I don't remember the name, but if you find it you should read it, it's really good.**

Zee,

I'm writing to you now that I'm settled here in London, but I'm not even sure you'll get this with the mission you're on. You didn't say it but your eyes told me it's dangerous. Be safe. And I thought I should tell you that I intend to learn Gaelic and Welsh while I'm here. And I'm going to attempt learning to do an acceptable British accent. Good luck and stay safe.

Infinite X's and O's (do they use those in Israel?)

Ilana

November 17, 1998

Zee,

Well you haven't responded so I will assume that you are still out. I hope you are doing well. Email me as soon as you can. I don't have much news for you accept that, thanks to you, I am the expert of my class on the middle east. I am pretty far ahead of everyone else in my class in other areas as well though. My roommate is Irish and her family is inviting me for the holidays. I really like them and they are teaching me Gaelic and being around them is helping me to be able to pull off an Irish accent as well. I miss you a lot though. Please email me soon.

Lots of love, XOXO

Ilana

December 20, 1998

Lan,

Yes I was busy with that mission. I will be leaving on another one soon, but this one is not secret. I will be traveling with an American from NCIS across eastern Europe. I will be able to stop to email you sometimes though. I miss you a lot and I am glad you are settled in and doing well. I think you will be proud that my German is getting much better. Soon I will be able to understand you when you speak it. Did I tell you that you speak German much to quickly? I do not know what X's and O's are. I hope to get another email soon. I will try hard to reply quickly.

Ani Ohevet Otcha

Zee

January 31, 1999

Zee,

Finally! I was beginning to worry. Well first of all, yes I am proud of your German. Second, X's are hugs and O's are kisses. So X's and O's means hugs and kisses. I really don't know why they use those letters, it's a weird American thing. I miss you tons! Take pictures of any places you see that you think I might like. My roommate keeps asking about you, and she said to tell you 'hi' and that you sound very cool. I hope your driving trip with the NCIS agent goes well. Good luck and be careful. Try not to kill anyone with your driving, though on the Autobahn it really wouldn't matter. I'm taking an Italian class now, and I'm thinking about learning Russian, too. Hope to hear from you soon.

Ich liebe dich.

Lan

February 12, 1999

Lan,

The trip is going good so far. The agent is nice and she does not act the way most Americans do when I drive, more like how you act. Her name is Jenny. She likes my stories about you and she told me to tell you 'hi' as well. Tell your roommate that I say 'hi back' and I am glad you are learning Italian and Russian. You will soon know as many languages as any Mossad Officer. Tali would be proud, I know I am. I drove on the Autobahn yesterday and you are right. Everyone drives faster there. It is much better than some of the other highways I have driven on. I miss your smile and your laugh. It is so dull doing these assignments that my father keeps giving me. This one is alright though. I will have to tell you some of the stories she has told me about another agent she worked with just before this mission. I think I remember him from the Gulf War. I think he was in Israel for a short time after the first rocket attacks, but left for the front lines. But those are for another time. We have to get back on the road. Ti amo.

X's and O's (I think)

Zee

March 2, 1999

Ziva,

It's good to hear that you and your mission are doing well. Things here are good too. Finals are soon and then I will be going home for a few weeks before leaving for a dig in Mexico and then for a short trip to Egypt. I went to Stonehenge yesterday and took some pictures for you. I also have pictures of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, though I am sure you have been in places just as nice. Good luck on whatever your next mission is, and I hope your father isn't giving you too much trouble.

Love you lots,

Lan

May 9, 1999

Ilana,

I have been back at home for a while now, and I did a little research and found that I do know the man Jenny talked about. He helped me and Tali find our friend after the first rocket attack. I took a lot of pictures for you too and I can't wait for us to trade. Your summer sounds like it will be fun. I have a mission this summer in Cairo. It is just surveillance for now, but I think it will evolve into a longer op by winter. All I know is that Jenny will be the American end of it. I am glad for this. Email me when you get to Egypt and maybe we will be able to see each other. Good luck with your finals.

Miss and love you,

Zee

May 13, 1999

Zee,

I did really well on my finals and my thesis was very well received. I got my degree. I am home now and Pete, my boyfriend, says to tell you 'hi' from him. We have gone to the beach almost everyday this week. I hope you are able to enjoy at least some of your time away from home and can rest a little. I miss you and I will be in Mexico very soon. I hope to see you when I am in Egypt. Good luck on your mission.

Hugs and Kisses,

Lan

June 17, 1999

Lan,

I am so proud of you. I knew you would make it so far. Tell Pete I say 'hello' as well. I am trying to relax a little now and then but it is very difficult. I hope your trip to Mexico will be great. I am so sorry Ilana. I will not be able to see you when you come to Egypt. The mission here in Cairo has taken a turn and I will not be able to contact you. I should not tell you much but it is not going well and I have a feeling I will be undercover by the time you get here. I will not be able to email you, so take lots of pictures and wait for my next message. I am so sorry. I miss you very much and I hope to talk to you soon.

Lots of love

Zee

June 24, 1999

Zee,

Thanks. Be careful, please. I promise to take lots of pictures and I'll have a good time in Egypt while trying to keep myself from looking for you. I'll wait for you to email me. Good luck on your mission and, again, be careful. I miss you. Love you tons.

Infinite X's and O's

Lan

June 30, 1999

Ilana,

How I have missed our communication during my long stay in Cairo. I am now sitting at home in Tel Aviv. It has only been a few days since I came home. I was in a Cairo hospital for a week. I know you told me to be careful. You have already had your birthday. Happy Birthday! I am sorry I missed it. I missed mine, too. What is going on with you now? Did you finish school? Do you have a job? I feel like I have missed so much. I miss you very much and I hope to hear back from you soon.

Lots of love,

Ziva

July 18, 2000

Zee!

Oh my goodness! Finally I hear from you. I miss you, too. I can't believe you got hurt! No, wait, I can. You never really listened to me. Happy Birthday to you, too. Well, I did finish school. It's Dr. Ilana to you now. Just kidding. I'm starting in a lower position as an apprentice of sorts to an anthropologist at a museum here in Los Angeles, and I'll get to do a lot more travel and international digs. Maybe even get close enough to visit if I drive like you do. Things have been going good. I can guess that things have been hectic for you, but I'm glad you're home and relatively safe.

Love always

Lan

July 20, 2000

Lan,

Good to hear you are doing so well. Nothing much is going on around here, I am glad for that. Congratulations on your degree and job. I hope you get close enough to come for a visit, but I think I will be doing a mission or two in France or Germany before too long. Thank you for encouraging me to improve my German. I have to go to a meeting with my father. Miss you.

Love

Zee

August 29, 2000

Zee,

Happy Hanukah. I'm bringing together my family and my boyfriend's family for the holidays. They don't know he's coming. I'm excited. I hope you get the chance to celebrate with your family and friends. I miss you a lot. Happy New Year, too.

Love

Lan

December 15, 2000

Lan,

My holidays were very nice and I did get to celebrate. I hope the surprise went well for Pete's family. I will be in France at the end of the month so I will not be able to email you. Then I will be in Germany for a little while after that. I hope to be back before my birthday, but I do not know. Give my regards to everyone there. Miss you tons.

Love

Zee

January 10, 2001

Zee,

I'm glad you had a nice holiday season. The surprise went very well and everyone was really happy. Everyone here told me to tell you 'hello' and that they hope you are well. Good luck in France and Germany. I'm glad I could be of help with your language skills. Mine have been getting quite good, might I add. I am fluent in seven languages other than English. I'm working on Gaelic and Arabic now. Well I'll stop blabbering and let you go. Good luck and be careful. Miss you.

Love

Lan

January 14, 2001

Lan,

I am back finally. I can not believe it has taken me this long to get back home. My father decided to give me a birthday present this year: a new position. I am not a control officer. For Ari. I was so angry with him I did not speak to him for three days and I still have not spoken to Ari. I wish you were here to make me clam down and think about this logically, how you would. I am quite proud of your language skills. I miss you.

Love

Zee

April 21, 2001

Zee,

I'm sorry I haven't answered you. You were gone when I found out I was leaving. My mentor and I went to assist on digs all around the world. I have been to six of seven continents. It's been a long time since I've been home. Now I'm the one that's missed both birthdays. It's almost Christmas, but not quite Hanukah yet. It comes late this year. I miss you. How has being Ari's control officer been going?

Love

Lan

December 22, 2001

Lan,

I was beginning to worry. I am glad you were able to go on such a great adventure for your career. I am very happy for you. I hope you have had a nice holiday. Being Ari's control officer has been interesting. I feel like a maid. I keep cleaning up his messes. I think my father bred him to be his illegitimate mole in Hamas. He found out that Hamas was responsible for the suicide bombing that killed Tali, but he has yet to pass any information on to me. He leaves me out of the loop. I learn everything from my father, which means I learn almost nothing. Some bad things are going on though and I will have to go silent for a while. I am not sure how long, but think of me often and do not ever forget me. Take lots of pictures. I promise to email you as soon as I am able.

Love

Zee

January 3, 2002

Zee,

I will not take the time to agree to each of your requests, I will just say, ok. Be careful and stay safe. I will miss you.

Love

Lan

January 9, 2002

Lan,

It has been much too long since we have talked. I was able to come back to full duty and communication quite a while ago but Ari and his missions have kept me busier than I thought possible. I am sorry it has been so long but now one of Ari's crazy missions is taking me to America. I do not know what kind of trouble he may cause but that seems to be all he is doing lately. I hope you are doing well. I miss you, and I still thought of you often. I am sorry for my lack of free time though.

Love

Zee

May 20, 2005

Zee!

It has been much too long my friend. I forgive you for getting busy. I have been busy myself. I have a new job at another museum in a different city. It's been really good here. It figures that Ari is causing trouble for everyone, especially you. I'm glad you're coming to America, even if it is Ari's fault. Good luck on your mission. I hope Ari doesn't cause too many problems. Miss you.

Love

Lan

May 22, 2005

Lan,

It is too late. Ari has gone far beyond causing problems. He has been up to his old tricks in Hamas again and now he has killed someone! He killed an NCIS agent! And now I have to go in, on my father's orders, and tell them all that I do not believe he did it. I know he did it. It is just like him. I do not know what to do. Help me!

Love

Zee

May 24, 2005

Zee,

I heard about the agent who was killed. I think you should do what you are ordered and then figure out a way to make it right. It is better than going against your father and have a fellow assassin come after you. Just be calm. You will be fine.

Love

Lan

May 24, 2005

Lan,

There are two things I need to tell you. First, Jenny is the new director of NCIS. Second, I shot Ari today. I killed him and now I have to escort his body back to Tel Aviv. Oh, and that man that Jenny talked about, the one I knew from the Gulf War, well he is the leader of the team I have been working with. He is taking the blame for killing Ari, because it happened in his basement and his life was threatened. I am shocked. I do not know what will happen when I get home but I do not think my father will like this very much. I did what you said and I think it worked out as good as it could. Thank you. I miss you and will write again soon.

Love

Zee

May 25, 2005

Zee,

Well, not to be insensitive, but I never liked Ari much to begin with. He was terrible to you and Tali. I hope your father does not act too harshly. Good luck with that, and good for Jenny. Well I have a World War I soldier waiting for me, so I have to get going. Talk to you soon.

Love

Lan

May 26, 2005

(italics from here on mean it is in Hebrew)

Lan,

Happy Late Birthday! I was a bit busy in Tel Aviv but now I am back in America. I have been given a liaison position at NCIS on the team I assisted during Ari's case. The forensic scientist is a hyperactive _goth _who plays loud music. One agent is very good with computers and he is called Probie and there are lots of nicknames made out of his last name. The leader is tough and gruff, but he cares about the team like they are his family. And then there is my partner. He is an immature Italian _playboy_ who is -- I reluctantly admit-- easy on the eyes. They are a good team. But I really like the medical examiner. He is a very nice older gentleman from Scotland who has a million stories to tell. How is your job? Any interesting people? Well I have to get back to working. I will talk to you soon.

Love

Zee

October 20, 2005

Zee,

Sounds like a fun place to work. I'm glad you're finding a good place to be here in America. Maybe I can visit sometime when things die down around here. It just keeps getting busier and busier. Good luck with the new job. There are a few interesting people at the museum. They all have their quirks, but I love them all. I have been there for a while now and in no time you will see what your team leader feels about his team. You will understand how they feel like a family. Things around here are good, but, like I said, very busy. Hope to talk to you soon.

Love

Lan

October 21, 2005

**End Communications**


	3. The Call

**I realized that I needed this because some of the information Ilana know wasn't covered in the emails. So here is the only phone call they managed to get to each other between October 2005 and August 2008.**

_April 30, 2008_

"Hello?"

"Ilana?"

"Ziva?"

"Hey! It has been too long. I have missed you."

"I've missed you, too. We really gotta get you using some contractions Zee!" she chuckled. "So what's up?"

Ziva sighed. "Guy troubles. Like old times, yes?"

"Yup." she laughed. "So who is he? What's bugging you?"

"My partner. You know the immature one who chases slacks."

"Skirts, Ziva. He chases skirts, he's a playboy. And yes I know who you're talking about."

"He is not chasing girls so much anymore. Jen gave him this undercover assignment and he had to fall in love with the girl, or at least make it seem like he had. But I think he did and now he has chosen NCIS and this life over her, but I am afraid that he still loves her, even though she stabbed him in the back!"

"Calm down, Zee. What did she do to him?"

"She accused him of murder!"

"Oh. Um, yeah. Wow. Angry girl. I would say that he's just hurting and is probably angry. Why is this bothering you so much? And don't say it's because he's your partner because we both know that's a lie."

"I am not Jeanne. I am glad he no longer chases after every pretty girl he sees, but I can not be the one he loves. Not when he still loves that woman he was forced to be with."

"You really have your heart set on him, don't you?"

"I suppose I do. He makes me laugh, Lan. All the time. He is not like any person I have ever met. He plays around at work all the time but he is still very good at his job. And almost everyone likes him. It is just the people he has arrested that do not. Understandably."

"Tell me more about him. I can tell you want to. I know you don't talk to people about this."

"He jokes more than anyone I know, and he actually care what happens to people. I think he would take a bullet for the other agent on our team, the one he calls Probie. Even though he teases him constantly. And I know he would take a bullet for our boss, Gibbs, or for Jen. And he would dive in front of a train for our forensic scientist. I think all of us would."

"And you? Would he do that for you?"

"I guess. He knows I would kill him if he did, but he would probably do it anyway. He once followed me into the rafters of a warehouse to diffuse a bomb. He cares a lot, but he doesn't show it very much. I know, though."

"What about the forensic scientist? It seems like you all like her."

"I did not at first. And she did not like me at first either. But now I do not know what I would do without her. I think she thought I was stealing my partner away from everyone because I was replacing Kate, the agent who Ari killed. But now I am a different part of the team and we are getting to be friends. How have you been?"

"Very good. I've been getting a lot of really great new artifacts and remains in at the museum. And a few interesting cases the FBI and local law enforcement have asked me to consult on. Good overall." A small yell is heard in the background and Ilana replies to it with "Five minutes!" then turns back to the phone. "Sorry Zee. I gotta go. Don't be a stranger though. Gimme a call every once in a while."

"I will. Ani Ohevet Otcha."

"Ich liebe dich. Bye, my friend."

"Bye."

**I was already writing the next chapter and I realized I needed a little more communication for Ilana's knowledge to be accurate. So I decided that they finally got around to calling. Drop me a line. Let me know what you think. The next chapter will be headed your way very soon.**


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